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cojack's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This was incredibly hard to follow. In fact, if it weren’t a book club book, I might not have finished it. I’m glad I did, because Erdrich writes some gorgeous, insightful passages. She shows characters from the POV of others and then their own POV, which is intriguing. I know it wasn’t meant to be a linear story, but still, I had a terrible time remembering who was who and how they were all connected until well past 1/2 way through the book. It was probably intentional on the author’s part, highlighting the complicated relationships and family trees within some Native American communities. I think Tommy Orange’s There, There is an urban riff on this, but I think he connected the dots better between his characters. If Erdrich had even titled the chapters after the main character/narrator, it would have helped immensely.
sadieregnier's review against another edition
3.0
Love "The Red Convertible" and the connections to the entire family web... however, the story often forced me to read slowly and was not the quick summer read I was hoping for.
kamckim's review against another edition
5.0
Love this. Loved the voices and getting to know the various characters. Can’t wait to visit with them in the next book. All the voices through which this story is told and exquisite and enduring.
moviebuffkt's review against another edition
3.0
throwing in the towel - and i'll give the book the ol' "it's not you, it's me" line. i just can't concentrate on this one right now, nor can i get as invested emotionally as i feel like the book requires. it's beautifully written and it's the type of book you want to pour over and enjoy during quiet moments. and i just haven't had many quiet moments. trying to read this book during lunch breaks at a brand new job is NOT recommended. i'll come back to erdrich some day, but now is not the time!
rcielocruz's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up #LouiseErdrich 's debut novel for 2 bucks at the thrift store a few weeks ago. I have been reading a chapter or two every night before bed. I felt terrible today and it was kind of the perfect day to finish it. It's sad. There is humor, like in every sad place, tinged around disaster. Something about it felt too close. Some other things felt horrific and abhorrent. There are passages that are still pulling their blade through my tough and stubborn underbelly. Some wounds never never never heal, you just befriend them after a while. June Morrissey's absence, the absent parents in general and the resentful parents who are left behind, it all really dug into me. I feel very much the Gen Xer right now, shrugging it off, but not really. It always comes out somewhere. I can't believe this was her debut. She's written so many more, but damn. She really did something here.
pilesandpiles's review against another edition
5.0
I made the mistake of reading other novels from Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine narrative universe before this one. If you haven't read Erdrich before, you should probably start here. There are plot details and characterizations that I didn't love, but her prose is *chef's kiss*.
cass_10e's review against another edition
5.0
I read Beet Queen awhile ago but don’t really remember much of it. Finished this one after a quick read and gave it four stars. Great characters, wonderful prose, a story of two families both devastating and glorious. I kept thinking about it. I kept hoping to pick it up and read more stories. So I am coming back to give it five stars. This is a good one.
kirinmccrory's review against another edition
5.0
I just love Erdich. I really loved the perspectives of this book, the different explorations of love, how it told so many stories that all felt connected and necessary in what is a relatively short novel. And so many punches to the jaw packed in Erdich's prose in this one.